Kriya Yoga school
| Kriya Yoga | |
|---|---|
Mahavatar Babaji | |
| Founder | Mahavatar Babaji transmitted to Lahiri Mahasaya |
| Established | 1861 |
Kriya Yoga (Sanskrit: क्रिया योग) is a yoga system which consists of multiple levels of pranayama, mantra, and mudra, intended to rapidly accelerate spiritual development and engender a profound state of tranquility and God-communion. It is described by its practitioners as an ancient yoga system revived in modern times by Lahiri Mahasaya, who claimed to be initiated by a guru, Mahavatar Babaji, circa 1861 in the Himalayas. Kriya Yoga was brought to international awareness by Paramahansa Yogananda's 1946 book Autobiography of a Yogi and through Yogananda's introductions of the practice to the West from 1920.